Tampa Bay Times Says No on Parent Trigger, Points to Controversial Charters in Pinellas
Editors of the Tampa Bay Times are calling on republican senators to join their democrat colleagues in voting against SB 1718, the Parent Empowerment Act. The editorial, titled Parent Trigger Gimmick Further Erodes Public Education, points to two troubling examples of Bay area charters as reasons not enable their expansion is such a reckless manner.
Republican sponsors claim their goal is to empower parents, but it’s really just another gimmick distracting from lawmakers’ continued indifference to investing in public schools. Even with the restoration of $1 billion next year to cover most of this year’s cut in public education spending, Florida still ranks among the lowest in the nation in per pupil spending.
Two recent lessons in the Tampa Bay region also should inform senators’ votes before they open
